Pika's Tale
by Falconess
Summary: A lab-born pikachu dreams of the outside world. Can he escape the nightmares of the Team Rocket research lab? What is he searching for?
1. Secret Revealed

Chapter One: Secret Revealed  
  
The light from the hallway pierced the pitch blackness of the lab as the large door opened. A Team Rocket scientist, on duty for about 12 hours, sat down in an uncomfortable metal chair by his desk. "Stupid midnight tests," he mumbled angrily, "I'd like to see Giovanni work the graveyard shift."  
He switched on a lamp and began to search for his clipboard.  
  
The sudden change of light startled me and I woke up. I lay across from him in a single cage within 4 rows of cages, all stacked like bookshelves, each containing a variety of different pokémon. My cage, labeled 14-A, sat on the end of the second row. I rolled over and looked out to see the exhausted scientist coming towards my cage.   
  
"14-A. Pikachu. Needs Level 25 electricity booster," he read off his clipboard. The scientist looked in my cage, but obviously couldn't adjust his weary eyes. He reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled out a small flashlight. When he turned it on, I yawned and tried to roll myself into a ball, to go back to sleep and forget the nightmare I lived in. The scientist slowly entered a code on the keypad and opened the cage door.  
  
Dawning a pair of rubber gloves, he reached in and grabbed me. I didn't want to go, and although I struggled, I was still too tired to do anything about it.   
  
"Sorry little guy, this is for your own good," he stopped mid-sentence thinking, "Or Giovanni's most likely." He held me tightly and walked to a small glass chamber on the opposite wall and placed me inside. I turned to leap out, but he closed the door. He then pulled out his clipboard and began scribbling some notes. I sat and looked around at the lab. It had been weeks since the last "treatment" he had given me, and the only thing good about my situation was that I was out of the cramped cage.  
  
As far back as I could remember, I lived in this small lab, and was probably born here in this building. My whole life has been a series of experiments and endless testing. I figured it was the same for the other pokémon whom I shared this room with. I looked over at their cages, hoping for some support, but the ones who were awake only cowered in fear and the rest slept.   
  
He walked to a control panel and pushed in a sequence of buttons and one final one. My paws could feel a strong machine under the chamber vibrate and shake as if coming to life. The bottom grew warm and suddenly lit up with electricity. I was scared out of my mind and blasted by the sudden shock. It felt like my body would burst from the shock overload. Even though I'm an electric pokemon, my body was rejecting the extreme amounts of electricity. It shocked me onto my hind feet and I cried out "uh-uh-aahh!" in pain. The scientist turned toward me. I felt weak and toppled over. My sides ached. My head ached. My cheeks ached. Everything ached.   
  
I then realized I had almost let out my secret. The scientist set the machine to a lower setting and examined me through the glass. I had called out not with a "pika" or "chu", but with a human sound. The scientist was staring for awhile and listened. Probably trying to decide if his mind was fooling with him. Not satisfied because the noise of the machine was too loud, he unplugged it.   
  
I forced myself to keep quiet, but the pain swelled up in me. He kept waiting and staring at me. I could hold it in no longer and let out a small cry again, "uh-ahhh."   
  
The scientist rushed to the desk and gulped down a cup of coffee that had cooled through the long night. "This night shift is making me go insane," he told himself. He still stared at me. I continued to moan softly as I could and the scientist madly fished through his desk. He pulled out a tape recorder and sat it by the chamber, turning it on. When I made no more sound he plugged in the machine.   
  
Again it was filled with massive amounts of electric energy. I cried more, still in pain from the previous shocks. He smiled, shut it off again and walked towards me. "Hello little fellow. Can you talk?"   
  
I turned away and hoped he would give up. The smile faded.  
  
"Look at me!" he yelled, rapping on the glass. I knew if I did, he'd know I understood every word he said. He walked to the other side and repeated it. I again turned.  
  
"We'll do this the hard way then," his eyebrows turned down.   
  
"Say something or I'll crank this machine up to Level 45. You won't survive in there." I closed my eyes and held still, afraid to look. I then looked to see him turn it up and reach for the button to turn it on.   
  
My heart almost lept out of me from fright, "NO!" my voice cried not realizing what I had done.  
  
He dashed to the tape recorder and shut it off. He squealed with delight, "YES!! I knew it. You will be my promotion out of this stupid lab!!" he pointed at me. The scientist strolled almost happily over to a telephone on his desk, picked up the reciever and pushed a button.   
  
"Veronica?" he asked.  
She answered.  
"Yes, this is Prof. Scrub. I want to make an appointment with Giovanni," there was a pause, "Yes--No, it's important. Look, I have an extremely rare pokemon for him--" he talked on as I sat in terror.  
  
Now he knew I could speak human language. I had successfully kept it a secret until now. I hid it because I had seen what happened to pokémon who had special abilities. They were taken from the lab and never heard from again. No one knew what lie outside the lab, the only window to the outside world was high up and all I could see was the top of a tree.   
  
The scientist stuffed the recorder in his pocket and opened the chamber. He grabbed me roughly and I again struggled, but this time he held me very tightly, and shoved me back into my cramped cage. He quickly locked it, gathered his things and turned off the desk lamp. The scientist took one last glance at me and then slammed the door behind him, leaving me again in total darkness. 


	2. Hope of Escape

Chapter 2: Hope of Escape  
  
I awoke in the morning and my muscles ached, still weak from the previous night. I stretched and looked to my food dish for some relief, but found it to be empty.   
  
"Forgot to feed us again," I sighed looking around the lab. A fluttering movement outside the window caught my eye.  
  
On the windowsill perched a small bird. I remembered seeing one in the scientist's notes; it was a pidgey. As I looked at him and he at me, I couldn't help but wonder what it was like to be outside, and what it was like to be free.  
  
A thought entered my mind, "Why can't I be free? I may not have the wings to fly away from here," I thought, "But I have to legs to walk on, and a heart to get me there." I sat by the bars of the cage and let it sink in. If I could escape what would I do? This lab is all I've known. What if there isn't anything out there for me? Was it worth the risk? Again I looked up at the pidgey. There had to be something out there for me. There just had to be.  
  
"I promise I will escape from here," I whispered up to the pidgey, "and then..." I realized I didn't know what to expect. I only knew that anything was better than a cramped cage.  
  
The door swung open again and the young Prof. Scrub once again entered. He must have startled the pidgey because when I looked back up at the window, it was gone. He immediately set down his things and rushed towards my cage.  
  
"Glad to see you're still here!" he commented, "Of course, it's not likely that you'd have gone anywhere!" he chuckled at his own joke. He turned and headed for his file cabinets. I watched with interest as he fished through one and pulled out a small metallic-insulated cage. He set it on his desk and opened the tiny door. He approached my cage slowly and I backed up to the very back of my cage. I knew it was for me. A idea popped in my head. This would be my one chance for escape. I bent in a sprinting position and as soon as he opened the door and I bolted out. He reached for me and caught my tail. A pain shot through me.  
  
But, before I could blast him with some electricity, he crammed me into the even more confining cage and latched it shut. It was scarcely even big enough for me to breathe in. It squeezed me and I could barely move my hands and feet. I looked to my left and saw his lunchbox, which was only a few inches bigger than this cage.  
  
Suddenly I was lifted off the desk by the professor and we promptly left the room. For the first time in my life, I left the small lab and was able to see the entire hallway. There were at least five rooms down both ways. It seemed to me like an endless void. We took a sharp left and came to two large metal doors with no handles. He pushed a button beside them and they opened to reveal a room even smaller than the lab. We stepped inside and he pushed another button on the control panel. My ears perked up as I detected the sound of a motor. I feared the worst and grabbed onto the bottom of the cage with all my might. The floor rumbled and I felt a wierd sensation as a voice said, "Floor 13, Going up."  
  
Every now and then a tone went off until it stopped and the doors swung open. The voice said, "Floor 26."  
  
We entered into a different hallway. As I looked around at everything in wonder, I didn't realize what was happening. This new environment was very large and it made me curious to explore. But, before I knew it we arrived at a large door with a nameplate that read: GIOVANNI, PRESIDENT, TEAM ROCKET ENTERPRISES. The Professor pushed an intercom button by the door. A camera zoomed in on him cautiously. After a few seconds passed a voice answered, "Scrub. You're early," the voice was a low, male one that was ominous, but yet had a trusting tone to it that could easily convince an unwary someone of his 'loyalty,' "Excellent. I like people who are punctual. Come in." Another buzzer sounded and the door unlocked. He opened it and stepped inside.  
  
This was one of the offices of Giovanni. The room was dim, because the blinds of the window in the very back of the office were shut. The professor neared a desk in front of the window. A small desk lamp was on, and a dark figure was sitting in a large chair. The professor stopped in front of it and waited patiently. Unfortunately for me I was unable to raise my head up to look at the figure.  
  
"Now, what is this 'wonder' that you have for my collection of rare pokemon?" the voice asked. I was carefully lifted onto the desk. I still could not make out his face, except for his mouth which on one side was curled up slightly in an almost devilish smile as he looked me over.  
  
"Yes," he put a hand to the door and opened it. I was then paralyzed with fear as his hand reached in and took a hold of me by the scruff of my neck. He set me before himself. I looked at him now with my eyes wide open and as I looked into his, I knew he sensed my uneasiness.  
"Sir, I don't think you-" Scrub started, but a gruff stare from Giovanni made him back off. He stepped back and watched silently.  
  
I trembled in silence for a moment as his hand reached out toward me. He then stroked my fur in such a way that it was both soothing and yet frightening. I backed away and he stopped.  
  
He looked me in the eye, "Can you talk?" he asked with authority. The room fell in silence as he continued to stare intently at me.  
  
"Yes," I finally answered, hoping it would break his stare.   
  
It didn't and he continued, "You could be very useful to me. I am a powerful human and can give you whatever you desire. If you allow me to train you, you will become the strongest pikachu in the world."  
  
What he promised sounded good, but I sensed something in him. I didn't know what it was, but I had a gut feeling that I shouldn't believe a word he said. But his eyes were still glaring at me.  
  
"What do you say, do we have a deal?" he smiled showing his teeth.  
  
I seemed to be slipping into a trance as I looked at him, I tried to shake it off, but everytime I saw those eyes... "NO!" I finally cried with all my will.  
  
His face immediately turned to one of anger, and he spoke very slowly, "I don't think you understand what you are throwing away--"   
  
I suddenly let loose a thundershock, it shorted out the desk lamp and the room went black. Both Giovanni and the Professor called out and I felt a hand reach for me. Instinctively, I leaped off the desk and came face to face with two glowing eyes.   
  
"Per-sian," it growled at me. I darted away and it chased me in the darkness.  
  
I sparked up for a second to light the way and saw the door. I leaped for it and as I hit it, bounded off it and onto the floor. The large persian that had been chasing me rammed into it and the door fell down, revealing the hallway. I saw my chance for escape.   
  
I leaped over it and sprinted as fast as my legs could carry me. I heard yelling from behind me and I saw the persian slowly rise up. I darted around a corner and looked around. I had no idea where I was. It all looked the same now. I kept running and suddenly found the giant doors that had taken me here. I jumped on top of a sleek golden-metallic trashcan and pushed the button. The doors opened and I quickly scrambled inside. They shut and the voice said, "Floor 26, Enter floor number," I looked at the control panel. I didn't know where to go. One was different from the rest and had a star by it with an 'L.' I figured I couldn't go wrong and hopped as hard as I could and pushed it.   
  
The floor vibrated and I felt another sensation. The voice said, "Going down," As the tones sounded I marveled at what I was doing. Was I going to make it? Suddenly the motor stopped and the voice replied, "Lobby."  
  
The doors opened to reveal a room larger than any I had ever seen. I stepped out and the doors shut. It was full of light and I saw many things around me, but what caught my attention was the trees outside. I saw many glass doors just a few yards ahead of me. I then looked around, it was still early in the morning and I guessed there weren't many employees around. Still, I didn't want to take the chance of being found and snuck my way towards the door, ducking behind potted plants and cusioned benches.  
  
I finally reached the glass doors and as I sat on the black pad under me, they swung open. I ran out into the fresh air and felt the sun warm on me. I suddenly found myself for the first time in my life...free. But something was wrong, something was still missing, and I knew I didn't want to hang around the lab or the building it was in any longer. What I wanted was out there, and now that I was out; I only needed to find it. 


	3. The Search Begins

Chapter Three: The Search Begins  
  
I soon found myself completely lost in the outside world. I wandered along sidewalks, past green parks and many beautiful fountains. A few hours later the sun began to set in the west and I knew I should find a place to stop for the night. I followed the streets and as I continued on I found that the buildings only grew larger as I entered into the heart of the city.  
  
Before long I was in the deepest part, searching alleys and darkening streets for the thing I wanted most. I still didn't know what it was or where I would find it. I just knew every second I got closer.  
  
My legs finally gave up on me and I crawled into a spilled trash can in a secluded alley and curled up in a pizza box. I was hungry, but too tired to search for food. The skies finally grew dark and a light rain began to fall. It washed away some of the trash in the alley towards the street. I began to wonder if I was just kidding myself. At least at the lab I had been fed almost regularly and had a roof over my head. I even almost began to wish I had said yes to Giovanni.   
  
I began to cry. Why had I gone so far from the lab. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. The wind began to howl and I wished for my cage. Suddenly my trash can rolled and I fell over. I tumbled out. The ground was damp and my fur soaked it up like a sponge. I wondered what made the trashcan roll like that.  
  
I suddenly sensed something behind me. I heard a low growling sound. I turned and saw a large raticate. "Rrrraticate!" it screeched.  
  
It lunged for me and luckily, I dodged it. One thing was sure in my mind, I couldn't stay here any longer. The raticate rumaged through the trash can. I backed up slowly and began to inch away down another alley. Angrily it chewed on the trashed can and caught site of me. "CATE!" it screeched again. I held my ears. I had to get away from there before it made me into a snack.   
  
Again I was on the run. I heard the raticate behind me. Why was it chasing me? The rain began to fall faster on the ground. It chased me through a maze of alleys and side streets and though I was exhausted I tried to lose it.  
  
I turned another corner and came to a street, not looking I scampered across the road. About halfway to the otherside, a speeding pickup truck lights flashed through the pouring rain and honked it's loud horn as it rumbled past me. I hurried across to the gutter and fell down. I looked behind me and noticed the raticate was gone. I sighed and pulled myself up onto the sidewalk. I looked up and couldn't see anything but huge skyscrapers that towered over me in all directions. Never before had I felt so alone. I decided I would keep going, because I didn't think I'd be able to survive a night sleeping on the streets.  
  
Towards midnight, the storm let up and I could see the glowing moon high in the sky. As I continued on deeper into the city, I found yet another park. But this one had iron gates around it. I squeezed through the bars and ventured in. The lighted posts within the park guided me down the paths inside. I passed by many trees and gardens of all kinds.   
Traveling hour after hour, the buildings slowly got smaller and smaller. I felt relieved to be past all those gigantic buildings. I was getting more tired by the second. I then strolled off the path to a large tree. I leaped for it and climbed up it. I looked around and found no other pokémon occupying it. Contented at last, I curled up on a thick branch full of leaves and fell peacefully asleep.   



	4. Journey's End

Chapter Four: Journey's End  
  
I awoke the next day sometime after noon. It was partly cloudy and the air was humid and the temperature felt very high. I slid down the tree trunk and continued down the park path. My muscles were better and as I felt a short-lived refreshing breeze I felt closer than ever to the thing I was searching for.  
  
Finally I reached the end of the park. I exited this time through two open iron gates. I looked at the sign above it, it read "Amber City - Viridian City Friendship Park - Dedicated 1987". I looked around and saw a sign across the street that read "Amber City - City of Golden Dreams - Welcomes You". I felt led to go into the small city. This time, I looked both ways down the street and rushed across.   
  
This city was much smaller in building size than the previous one I had been in. I traveled along the streets and looked at all of the colorful houses. I saw many children having water fights in their backyards and many happy pokémon playing with them.  
  
I felt fine until I saw a small boy and a psyduck. He looked excited to see me and ran towards me. The clumsy psyduck followed. "Look Dave, a pikachu!! Awesome! I'm going to capture it!" He ordered the psyduck to battle me. I had had enough of running. I decided to stand my ground.   
  
"Dave, bite him!" he ordered. It lunged toward me and I dodged. I fought back with a thundershock. Fried a bit, it ran back towards the boy.  
"Dave!! Come on you coward!" he pushed him towards me, "Try again."  
  
This time he didn't miss and he bit my tail with his big beak. I shocked him again and he let go of it. I decided this wasn't worth it and ran on til I lost sight of the boy and his pokémon. I figured if one human acted that way, more would too.   
  
From then on, I hid in the shadows as I snuck about the city. I passed more and more houses with no resting spot in site. My stomach was still running on empty and I was incredibly thirsty from being out all day in the hot sun. I was getting tired again and knew I couldn't go on much further.  
  
By the late afternoon I arrived near the center of the city. I couldn't think straight anymore and was very tired. I came to a large building. In front was a small picket fence and a sign that read PikaPals Headquarters. I sat in front of it and stared for a long time. Something in me told me that I should go in. I figured at least the small fence would keep me safe.  
  
But wait, I thought, why here? Why don't I just go on? Why do I get this strange feeling when I'm around here. I peeked through the fence. On the lawn was a sleeping pokémon. I recalled it as being an ivysaur. It had an interesting look on it's face, it was one of contentment. I sighed, and wondered if I'd ever get that feeling too. I leaped over the fence and looked around. My leg throbbed. Jumping over the fence had pulled my muscle. Maybe this wasn't a good place to stop after all. I was about to leave when I stepped on a twig. It made a large cracking noise and woke up the ivysaur. It immediately looked at me and cried, "SAURRRR!"  
  
It crept toward me and I backed up to the fence. What could I do now. There was no way I could get back over the fence with a sprained leg.   
The door to the building opened and a group of kids ran out.   
  
"What's the problem Ivy?" one of the boys asked the ivysaur.  
"Ivy! Ivy saur!" it replied.  
"What'd she say?" another boy asked.  
"She said to look over there," he pointed. They all focused on me and gasped.  
"What happened to that pikachu?" a girl asked.  
"Looks pretty bad...it must've been in a fight." the first boy said.  
"Matt, go get the emergency first aid kit," the girl told the first boy. He nodded and raced into the building, "Hunter, take Ivy inside; she's scaring it."  
"All right. Come on Ivy," the other boy took the ivysaur, who backed off, and they also entered the building.  
  
She got down on her knees and pulled out something out of her pocket in her khaki colored shorts. She then said, "Come here little one, I won't hurt you. I have some pikachu treats here if you want them."  
  
I looked around for a way of escape, but saw none. Maybe though, I thought, this girl was a nice human who wouldn't fight me or try to capture me. I pushed this aside. I had my share of humans, whether an adult like Giovanni or a young trainer like the boy. But, I was very hungry. Did she really want to give me treats? I slowly came a few steps closer. She stepped a little closer also. We were now about 10 feet apart. She stretched out her hand and I saw little chunks in her hand. She gently tossed one my way. I backed up, but then came up to it, still keeping an eye on her, bent down and nibbled on it.  
  
It was simply delicious and I swallowed the rest of it greedily. I wanted another badly, but still felt cautious. I did not want to be stuck in a cage again. I looked at her. She looked about 13 or so and had short orange hair. She was wearing a turquiose tanktop with an ID badge that said, "PikaPals" on it with a logo of a pikachu and squirtle on it, and under it was printed "Kim, PikaPals Founder".  
  
"Would you like some more?" she asked me.  
"Yes," I replied.  
"You can talk!" she blurted out, "Where did you come from?"  
I told her my story. She listened very carefully and every now and then I looked in her eyes. They were different than any I had seen before. In fact, they made me smile. She was so friendly and it gave me the energy to tell all that had happened to me.  
  
As soon as I finished, the boys returned with a box with a red cross on it. They gave it to her. She set it down. "Thank-you for telling me your story... I just realized I don't know your name," she smiled again. The boys looked at her funny. She explained to them about my ability to talk.  
  
I hesitated for a moment, "I don't have a name," I frowned, a bit embarrassed.  
"Well don't worry," she assured me handing me the rest of the treats, "You've come to the right place. Here at PikaPals, we work to help all pokémon who have been abandoned or abused. You are welcome to stay here until you get better, and then we can help you find a home."  
"A home?"  
"Yeah, like Ivy," said the boy called Hunter, "she was abandoned by her old trainer and we found her. We took care of her and now she's my pokémon."   
  
I again looked at the girl. She seemed nice enough and the food was delicious, "Can I stay here?"  
"Yes!" she replied, "But first you need a name. Hey guys, help me out."  
"How about Sparkster?" Hunter suggested, "or Electro?"  
"I don't think so," I said.  
"How about Chewy, or Mustard, or how 'bout..." the boy named Matt said.  
"No way," I laughed.  
"It needs to be something simple," Kim said thinking hard.  
"Simple, huh?" said Matt, looking around as if for a sign of some sort, "How about just plain ol' Pika?"  
We all looked at him in curiousity.  
"You know, short for pikachu," he explained.  
"Pika...Yeah, that does have a ring to it," Hunter agreed.  
"How about Pika then?" Kim asked me.  
  
I thought for a second. It was short and to the point and wasn't crazy or wierd, "Yes, I like that," I replied.  
  
"Well then Pika," she said, "How about we take you inside and get you fixed up. It's almost time for dinner too."  
"Yes," I said, "That would be great!"  
She carefully scooped me up into her arms. As we walked back to the building Hunter added, "You know what Kim, we need a mascot for PikaPals and well...I think Pika would be the perfect choice."  
"What do you think, Pika," Kim asked, "This should be your decision."  
  
I thought over it. This was a beautiful place, and I couldn't help but look at these kids and wonder if this was were I belonged. They gave me a name and I felt that I owed it to them to stay for at least a while. But longer? I began to look back at my adventure to this point and asked myself if this was what I was searching for. I looked up into Kim's eyes and she smiled again. I got one of those warm feelings inside me again and I tried to come to a definate yes or no. I decided I could give it a shot. Besides, they were growing on me already and I had only met them for a few minutes.  
  
"Yes," I answered, "I'd like that very much." They all three cheered and Kim gave me a hug. It was a new feeling for me and it rushed through me like a bolt of lightning. I felt loved, and I felt very safe. I hugged her back and even though my muscles ached and my stomach was empty, my heart was full of love. I had finally found the thing I had been searching for.  
  
"We'll protect you," Kim said, "And no one, including that Giovanni, will ever abuse you again."  
"And even if he tries to," Hunter added, "We'll stop him."  
"We gotta tell all the other trainers that we got a mascot now," Matt chimed in as we entered into the building, he looked at me, "They all are crazy about pokémon. They'll love ya."  
  
As I looked over Kim's shoulder and saw the sunset in the west, I knew my life would be filled with hope and joy. It was then that I knew PikaPals was my home.  
  
  
THE END  
  
.... or is it? 


End file.
